The A to Z of You & Me
by Areyl
Summary: A collection of Chalant one-shots capturing how Robin and Zatanna's relationship evolved from just being friends to becoming something more. Mostly K but rated T for possibly later chapters. Includes some Spitfire and Supermartian.
1. A is for Afterhours

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from** _ **Young Justice.**_

 _Yay, new fanfic! It's always fun when I'm obsessed enough about something to write about it. Anyway, this particular story won't really be following a chronological time line. To make it easy, I'll try to give you guys a reference point for each chapter. But essentially consider this a collection of Chalant one-shots because I am totally sold on this ship (Robin and Zatanna forever!)._

 _Happy reading!_

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 _ **Setting: Sometime after Zatara became Doctor Fate**_

 **A is for Afterhours**

The Cave was peacefully quiet as Zatanna made her way down the dark corridor, towards the kitchen. It was just past midnight and other members of the League and the Team had long retired for the night. The young magician however liked to roam the halls at this hour as it afforded her the stillness she needed to think and reflect. Almost a month had passed since she moved into the Cave, since her father Zatara sacrificed himself to Nabu and became Doctor Fate. The memory of that day still burned like salt on an open wound.

Pushing the thought out of her mind, Zatanna opened the fridge and perused the contents inside. After some time, she settled on the brownies M'Gann had baked earlier that day. Just as Zatanna was pouring herself a glass of milk, she spotted a silhouette emerging from the darkness. Soon enough, Robin stepped into the soft glow of the kitchen light as his lips pulled into a curious smile.

"Fancy seeing you here," he greeted.

"I'll say," Zatanna replied, tilting her head to one side. "Don't you have a big lavish mansion to go home to?"

"You mean _Batman's_ big lavish mansion?" he joked as he came beside her and leaned back against the counter. "He likes to stay afterhours sometimes to run through reports and security footage. We just finished up."

"No rest for the weary," said Zatanna as she poured the Boy Wonder a glass of milk.

They clinked their glasses together before gulping down their drinks. Robin quietly observed Zatanna from the corner of his eye as she bit into a brownie. His crush on the young magician was no secret to anyone on the Team. Lately however, Robin found himself refraining from any flirtatious advances on Zatanna since losing her father. He didn't feel right about taking advantage of her vulnerable state.

"So," he said after a while. "What are you doing up so late? Couldn't sleep?"

"Well this is usually the only time I can get to myself around here," Zatanna replied. "It's hard to get any me time during the day between school, training, and mission briefings."

Robin frowned, suddenly feeling self-conscious of his abrupt intrusion.

"Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can go if you–"

Zatanna giggled, both touched and amused by the blush that colored Robin's cheeks.

"It's okay," she said, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "I like talking to you."

At this, Robin smiled.

"I know I keep asking this, but are you adjusting okay? I know that a change of scene isn't always easy."

"Everyone's been really nice and accommodating so I can't really complain."

Zatanna was thoughtfully silent for a moment before adding, "I just miss my father."

Her eyes suddenly threatened to overflow with tears. Zatanna hastily turned away from Robin and tried to regain her composure. Robin felt the urge to embrace her but as he reached out, uncertainty gripped him and his hand froze in midair. Ultimately, he opted for the safer bet and placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"I know what it's like to keep blaming yourself for something awful that happened," he said in a measured voice, feeling Zatanna's shoulder tremble beneath his touch. "Replaying the moment over and over in your head, thinking about all the things you could've done differently."

Zatanna then remembered that Robin had also lost his parents at a young age. Overcome with empathy for his loss she slowly turned to face him, her icy blue eyes glazed with tears.

"But you have to remember this: your dad sacrificed himself so that you could live _your_ life. He wouldn't want you to torture yourself with all this guilt and blame."

"I know you're right," Zatanna said with a defeated sigh. "It's just easier said than done."

Robin nodded his head in understanding. Before either of them could speak, an alert tone sounded from Robin's holographic computer. He pressed a button and Batman's gruff voice filled the otherwise quiet room.

"Just finished reviewing some satellite images. Meet me in the Batplane in five."

"Perfect timing," Robin quipped, rolling his eyes.

Zatanna giggled, feeling the somber mood lighten. "It's okay. I should be heading to bed myself."

To Robin's surprise, Zatanna wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug.

"Thanks for the pep talk," she whispered into his ear.

"Don't mention it," Robin said, feeling the blood rise to his face for the second time that night. "You can always come to me if you need someone to talk to."

Zatanna flashed him a knowing smile.

"Same to you," Zatanna said as she turned to leave. "You know where to find me."

The scent of lavender lingered in his nose as Robin watched Zatanna's figure disappear into the darkness. And once again, all was still in the Cave.

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 _Please read and review! Your feedback is greatly appreciated!_


	2. B is for Bruises

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from** _ **Young Justice.**_

 _I can't believe 2017 is right around the corner. Happy New Year everyone!_

 _Enjoy the new chapter!_

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 **B is for Bruises**

Zatanna didn't always like the way Robin trained. It worried her, the way he often pushed his 14-year-old body to its limit. By the end of a sparring session with Superboy or Batman, Robin's body would be covered in patches of blue and purple bruises. Zatanna wondered if the Boy Wonder overexerted himself as a way of compensating for his lack of superhuman abilities. After all, he and Artemis were currently the only two heroes on the Team without any special powers.

One day after reviewing a set of new spells, Zatanna made her way to the training annex, expecting to find Robin finishing up a session with the Dark Knight. Sure enough the Boy Wonder hobbled out of the room, rubbing the sore muscles on his shoulders. Upon seeing him, Zatanna crossed her arms over her chest and frowned.

"Rough day?" she asked.

Robin gave a weak smile and quipped, "Isn't it always?"

The young magician then lifted her arms into the air and recited a spell. In an instant, the two heroes were consumed by a cloud of smoke and blinding flash of light. When the smoke cleared, Robin saw that Zatanna had magically transported them to the Cave's medical bay. He was sitting atop one of the cots while Zatanna walked over to a nearby fridge to retrieve an icepack.

"So what are we treating today?" she asked as she wrapped a small towel around the icepack.

"Probably start with the ribs," Robin said, peeling off his shirt. "Batman really did a number on me today."

"Don't you ever worry that you might seriously get injured one of these days?"

She tried to sound nonchalant about it; nevertheless, she could feel Robin's eyes scrutinizing her from behind his dark-tinted glasses.

"Well that's kind of the whole point of training," he said with an amiable smile. "So I don't get seriously injured when I'm in a real fight."

"Right," Zatanna conceded, though she didn't quite agree.

She was suddenly acutely aware of Robin's bare-chested state as she repositioned the icepack on his torso. To her surprise, he placed his hand over hers and guided her to move the icepack more towards his left side.

"Right there's perfect."

"You're pretty lucky to have your own personal nurse to help treat your battle wounds," she said with a playful smile.

Robin smirked. "You know I hope this doesn't sound too Wally of me, but knowing that you're always there to help fix me up does make the pain of training a little more worth it."

Zatanna faintly blushed at his words. Their flirtatious banter was something they had come to enjoy from each other's company. Though somehow it always inadvertently turned into a contest on who could best the other in their flirting game.

And so in an effort to outdo him, she leaned in close and quietly said, "Well in that case…"

Zatanna left one lingering kiss on Robin's cheek, taking him by complete surprise.

"Maybe that'll help speed up the healing process," she said with a wink.

Though he didn't voice it out loud, Robin was more than happy to let Zatanna take the win on this round.

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 _I always like to hear your thoughts! Please review!_


	3. C is for Cake

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from** _ **Young Justice.**_

 _I know, I know. This update is long overdue and I'm so sorry. Life just happens to get in the way of fanfic writing. But I'm back with a new chapter!_

 _Happy reading!_

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 **C is for Cake**

As her birthday approached, Zatanna resolved to keep the special day a secret from the rest of the Team. It would be her first birthday without Zatara. The guilt from losing her father to the Helmet of Fate made her feel particularly undeserving of celebration of any kind. Zatanna's secret however slipped during a girls' night out M'Gann and Artemis, who later persuaded the others to help them plan a surprise birthday party for the young magician. Seeing an opportunity to make an impression, Robin volunteered to procure a birthday cake for the occasion. Little did the Team know that the Boy Wonder actually intended to _bake_ the cake himself. Once a week for the last few months, Robin had been taking cooking lessons from Alfred at the Wayne Manor. The young hero seemed to have a real knack for it, though he kept his culinary talent hidden from his friends.

When the day of Zatanna's birthday finally came, Robin was anxious to see his friends' reaction to the cake he made. But most of all, he was anxious to see Zatanna's reaction. At the Cave, he entered the lounge to find his friends getting preparations underway for the surprise party. M'Gann stood at the center of the room, overseeing the whole operation. She smiled with giddy anticipation as Robin approached her with a white cakebox in his arms.

"Just in time!" she exclaimed, eyeing the box excitedly. "Is that the cake?"

"As promised," Robin replied.

Aqualad joined the two just as Robin opened the box to reveal a chocolate cake topped with a crown of juicy red strawberries. In the center of the cake, written in white frosting, were the words _Happy Birthday, Zatanna!_

M'Gann clasped her hands together in delight. "Robin, it's perfect! Zatanna's going to love it."

"I'll say," Aqualad agreed. "Where did you get it?"

Robin simply smirked and said, "Oh you know, just a bakery Alfred recommended."

Before M'Gann could press him further a commotion broke out in the side of the room where Connor and Wally were putting up some streamers.

"Is it straight or not?" Connor snapped as he adjusted the streamers hanging along the windows.

"Move it down a little," Wally replied, squinting at the colorful bands of paper. "Wait, now move it a little to your right."

"Damn it, Wally!" Connor exclaimed, losing his patience.

M'Gann let out an exasperated sigh before stepping away to resolve the issue, while Aqualad helped Robin take the cake out of the box.

"You can put the cake over there with the rest of the food," he said, gesturing to a table across the room.

With measured movements, Robin carefully made his way over to the table. All the while, Superboy was finishing off the last of the decorations when he realized that he was short of streamers.

"Could someone hand me that extra roll of streamers?" he called out, pointing to a bag full of decorations across the room.

"Got it!" Wally said.

With lightning speed, he rushed to retrieve the roll. A vacuum of air trailed him tha nearly knocked Robin off his feet as he sped by. The gush of air caused Robin to lose his footing.

"Wally!" he cried out feeling the cake beginning to slide off the plate.

Wally doubled back as quickly as he passed and reached out to steady the plate before the cake fell. But in his effort to do so, Wally accidentally titled the plate to the other side and instead the cake slid onto Robin's chest, leaving a wide dent on one side.

"What the hell!" Robin exclaimed, his voice filled with rage.

Before Wally could apologize, the doors of the lounge slid open and Zatanna marched through. Trailing her was Artemis with a panicked expression on her face.

"Zee!" M'Gann exclaimed as she flew up to Zatanna, hoping to block her line of sight. "What are you doing here?"

"Really, M'Gann?" Zatanna lashed back, placing her hands on her hips. "I told you and Artemis to keep my birthday a secret!"

"I know, I know," M'Gann conceded. "But we all just wanted–"

"No," Zatanna interrupted. "You shouldn't have bothered in the first place!"

Without another word, the young magician stormed out of the room, leaving her friends utterly speechless. None of them had ever seen such an outburst from her before. Even Robin was taken aback by the display of emotion.

"I'm sorry, guys," Artemis explained after Zatanna was gone. "I was trying to keep her distracted but she kept insisting on coming back. Eventually she just figured it all out."

M'Gann let out a defeated sigh. "It's not your fault. Zatanna's right. This party was a bad idea."

"No," Robin protested, as he wiped the chocolate frosting off his shirt. "This party is exactly what she needs right now."

"You think so?" Artemis asked, unsure.

"Yeah," he replied with conviction. "Let's just leave her alone for now. I'll go get her once everything's ready."

And so the Team continued with their preparations. Wally apologized profusely for ruining the cake, and though Robin begrudgingly accepted his apology, he was still left with a damaged cake. Luckily, M'Gann and Artemis seemed to have a solution and insisted on fixing the cake while Robin set out to find Zatanna. He made his way down to the grotto, knowing that was where she often retreated for quiet contemplation. The damp and craggy cave walls echoed with the quiet sound of dripping water as Robin entered the cavernous space. As expected, he found Zatanna sitting on a rock by the edge of the underground lake, staring out into the water. Upon hearing footsteps padding towards her, she turned and frowned at the source of the unwelcome disruption.

"Hey," Robin said with gentle approach.

Zatanna remained silent and simply looked back at Robin, as if waiting for him to continue. She was normally one of the more even-tempered members in the group. But in that moment, in the dim light of the grotto, her blue eyes seemed aflame with anger. The Boy Wonder almost wished he had stayed with the others, unsure of how to placate the young magician.

"Look, Zee, we're sorry we didn't listen to you. We just wanted to do something nice for your birthday."

Tension stuck to the air like glue. At length, Zatanna turned her icy blue eyes away from him, suggesting to Robin that she would not acquiesce to his apology. He let out a quiet sigh and turned to leave.

"I feel like such a jerk," she said at last. "I'm sorry for overreacting."

"I don't blame you," Robin offered, coming by her side. "It's your first birthday without Zatara after all."

He noticed the way Zatanna winced at the mention of her father's name. Memories of his own struggle coping with his parents' death flashed in his mind. It suddenly dawned on him that they were more alike than he previously thought. He wondered if that was part of the reason why he found himself so often drawn to her.

"It's hard not to feel guilty on a day like today," Zatanna murmured as she tried to swallow back tears.

"I know you miss him," Robin said sympathetically. "But you're not alone, you know. We're all here for you, Zee."

Robin hesitated for a moment before placing a hand on her shoulder. Zatanna's long dark hair kept her expression hidden from him. But, from what he could feel, the young magician seemed to relax beneath his touch. At length, she clasped her hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze. Her touch, he noted, was as soft as velvet.

"Thanks, Robin," she said with an appreciative smile.

As she stood to face him she suddenly caught a whiff of the sweet scent of chocolate. That was when she noticed the dark stain on Robin's shirt. She shot the Boy Wonder a quizzical look as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, we had a little accident with the cake I made for you," he blurted.

He quickly realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth.

"You baked me a cake?" Zatanna asked incredulously.

Robin groaned, visibly distraught by his unintended revelation.

"Yeah, you weren't supposed to know that."

Zatanna simply smiled, both touched and amused by the sentiment.

"Don't worry," she said as a knowing look passed between them. "Your secret is safe with me."

Just then she leaned in and sealed her promise with a lingering kiss on his cheek. A broad smile spread across Robin's mouth as he noticed the tension finally beginning to lift.

"You know," he said, feeling emboldened by the kiss. "It's not too late to go back to the party. We managed to save you some cake."

"Alright," Zatanna agreed, her eyes alight with cheerfulness. "Let's go."

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All was dark and quiet when Robin and Zatanna stepped into lounge. Then, as if on cue, a bright glow appeared in the middle of the room. The light was coming from a single candle atop a cake that M'Gann held. Encircled within the candle's warm glow were their friends. Overcome with emotion, Zatanna could only watch as everyone surrounded her and began singing the birthday tune.

The lights came on as soon as the song ended. Zatanna glanced around and realized that even some of the members of the Justice League had joined in the festivities. Most surprising of all was seeing Doctor Fate standing stoically in the back of the room. Zatanna sensed that his presence was no coincidence; deep in her heart of hearts, she knew that her father was watching.

"Thank you everyone," she sincerely expressed. "I'm sorry about earlier."

"Don't worry about it," M'Gann said with an understanding smile. "We're just glad you came back."

Zatanna glanced down at the cake M'Gann held out towards her. Robin noticed how different – better, in fact – it looked from the original. The dent had been cut out, reshaping the cake into something like a crescent moon. The strawberries covered the whole top layer of the cake, and the sides were frosted with chocolate and decorative white swirls.

"The cake is beautiful. Thank you," Zatanna said, giving Robin a discreet nudge.

The Boy Wonder gave a sheepish smile as he replied, "You should make a wish and blow out the candle."

Zatanna took a moment to close her eyes; but instead of making a wish, she did something else instead. In the back of her mind, she knew the situation with her father wasn't one she could simply wish away. But one thing she had hoped for since moving into the Cave was a home and a family she could feel she belonged to. She saw now that she had that. And so instead of making a wish, she said a quiet word of thanks for her friends.

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